Holt County, Missouri was first surveyed in the late 1830's. The Baldwin/Munkres Tract located on Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge was purchased by the Daniel Baldwin family in the 1840's. There is an 1840's witness tree (huge) bur oak within a few hundred feet of the house. The Baldwin Family came by wagon train to Holt County from Parke County, Indiana after the Platte Purchase Treaty secured the land from multiple groups of displaced Native Americans in 1837. The farm was occupied continuously by members of the Baldwin Family, with only one exception of about 40 years. The Baldwin and Munkres families were joined through the marriage of Lucy Baldwin and Granville Munkres in 1895. Their son, Henry Munkres, lived on the property from his birth in 1898 to 1998 when he sold his property to the U.S. government incorporated into Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge.

Squaw Creek NWR was established in 1935. Henry worked at Squaw Creek from 1938 until his retirement in 1965. He remained a friend of the refuge until his death in 2001 at the age of 103. The property contains two historic building clusters which are typical of rural Midwestern domestic/agricultural sites. The extant buildings date primarily to the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century and are reflective of a time in American history when the family farm, as a cultural and economic unit, dominated rural life.

A cultural resource investigation of the 172 acres within the Baldwin/Munkres Tract was done in September 2005. The two farmsteads represent a Hall-and Parlor home dating to the mid 1840- 50's and a Gothic Revival home dating to the 1870's. Some of the outbuildings include a two fruit/root cellars, privy, several chicken houses, several sheds, several barns, machine shed and corn crib. The buildings are all in extremely poor condition and several have already collapsed.

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to dispose of the buildings and restore the area to original native habitat ( warm season native grasses and forbs). The recommendations from the 2005 cultural resource survey indicated the residences lack any distinct or unusual features and is a commonplace style for the areas and its time period. There has been multiple additions and alterations to the homesteads which rendering it ineligible for recommendation to the National Register of Historic Places. However, the Missouri State Historic Preservation Officer took exception to their recommendations and felt the farmstead should be eligible for inclusion. Therefore, the Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to alleviate the problem by offering any interested parties or organizations that would like to remove the buildings from the Refuge and relocate/restore for historic and educational purposes.

A news release was sent out to numerous outlets in Northwest Missouri/Northeast Kansas to request interest in relocating/restoring the buildings. Two groups have responded thus far - the City of St. Joseph 35 miles south in Buchanan County and a group from Holt County hoping to keep the buildings in the county. The City of St. Joseph is currently engaged in developing a Living History Preserve along the Missouri River in St. Joseph. They would like to add as many of the buildings that are in good shape to their 21.5 acre Preserve. Signs would be attached to the buildings stating where they came from, who built them , what they are made of and any other outstanding features including a history of the families. The Holt County group would like to do the same thing but move them adjacent to an 1880 Benton Church and cemetery within 2 miles of the Refuge. We are now waiting for more specific details of which group can raise the money and/or see if it is feasible to move the buildings.